Method of shaping metallic bodies



1931- L. G. FIRTH ET AL 3 METHOD OF SHAPING METALLIC BODIES Filed Oct. 18, 1929 INVENTOR nfmfud Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEWIS GERALD FIRTH, OF PITTSBURGH, AND PAUL F. LONGNEGKER, OF MCKEESPORT,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOBS TO FIRTH-STERLING- STEEL COMPANY, OF MICKEE PORT, PENNSYLVANIA,.A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA METHOD OF SHAPING METALLIC BODIES Application filed October 18, 1929. Serial No. 400,596.

This invention relates generally to a methd of rolling metallic bodies such as ingots, blooms and billets, and more particularly to a method of rolling ingots in which an open I grain structure extends to at least one of the surfaces of the ingot. In accordance with our invention, a metallic body results in which the surfaces thereof are formed of close grain structure.

In the copending application of Lewis Gerald Firth, Serial N 0.385355, filed August 12, 1929, a method for casting flanged ingots is disclosed. In accordancewith the above referred to application, an ingot mold having recesses therein is employed so that when the metal is poured into the mold an ingot is formed having a bodyportion and a flange orfl'anges extending therefrom. The body portion is the last to cool and accordingly contains the greater portion of shrinks and pipes. The flanges are substantially free from shrinks and pipes but different-portions of the flanges have different grain structure, dependent upon the rate of cooling.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the present preferred embodiment of our invention Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, illustrate different types of metallic bodies to which our rolling process is applicable; and

Figures 5 to 9, inclusive, illustrate the various rolling steps.

By reference to Fig. 1, which illustrates one form of ingot which may be cast in the -manner described in the above referred to application, the outer three sides of the flan es B are cast in contact withthe ingot 'm'ol connects with the body portion A. This results in a flange which has a close grained portion C adjacent the three outer sides of the flange, and an inner portion D of open grain structure. According to the above referred to application, the flanges B are cut off from-the body portion A along the lines E, and the flanges are then rolled. These flan es have the open grain structure D exten ing to the side of the flange formed by cutting the flange along the line E.

(not shown), whereas the inner side Figs. 2 and 3 also illustrate types of in-' gots having open grain structure extending to one. surface of the ingot- Referring to Fig. 2, the ingot has a body portion F and two flanges G. The flanges are cut off from the body portion along the line H. This results in a metallic body as illustrated in Fig. 4.

.An ingot I may be cast in the usual manner in a rectangular mold and the ingot out along the line K so as to form two metallic Figs. 1 to 3 are given by way of example to show "how such metallic bodies may be formed, but the particular method of rolling hereinafter described is applicable irrespective of the manner in which the metallicbodies are formed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the ingot B having a close grain structure G on three sides thereof and an open grain structure D extending to the fourth side is first fed through a pass 2 formed by.

rolls 3 having ribs 4 thereon. The shape of the ingot B before it is fed to the pass is indicated in chain lines, and the shape of the pass is indicated in full lines. The rib 4. on the lowerroll 3 presses'in the open grain structure D forming a groove having edges 5 adjacent thereto. The rib 4 on the upper roll 3 maintains the ingot in proper alinement during its passage between the rolls. After the ingot has passed between rolls 3, it is rotated through substantially and fed to a pass 7 illustrated in Fig. 6.

The pass 7 is of such shape that it tends to close the edges 5. The position of the edges 5 after having been fed through the pass 7 is illustrated in Fig. 6 by dotted lines indicated by the numeral 5. i

After leaving pass 7 the ingot is fed to a pass 8 which further tends to close the ed es 5 so that they assume the shape indicated y the dotted lines 5" in Fig. 7.

Thereafter the ingot is fed to a pass 9 which still further reduces the ingot and closes its edges. The closed edges are indicated in'Fig. 8 by the dotted lines 12.

After coming from the pass 9 the ingot is rotated through substantially 90 and fed to a substantially diamond-shaped pass 13 which produces a diamond-shaped ingot.

From the above description it will be seen that an ingot having an open grain structure which extends to at least one of its surfaces is first rolled, as illustrated in Fig. 5, to press in the open grain structure, and the ingot is thereafter rotated through substantially 90 and fed to successive passes, as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, which close the edges of the ingot which were adjacent the groove formed as shown in Fig. 5. The resulting ingot has a close grain structure extending throughout substantially its entire surface.

According to the method above described, the open grain structure is pressed in to form a groove only once (see Fig. 5) and the ingot is then fed to successive passes, as illustrated in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, to close in the edges of the groove. If desired, however, after the ingot has been fed through the pass 7, for example, the open grain structure may again be pressed in to form a groove and then the ingot may be fed to passes which close the edges formed adjacent the groove.

Certain steps of the process may be utilized to advantage without employing all of the steps. For example, instead of making a straight out across the flange B, as indicated by the straight line E in Fig. 1, a curved cut P might be made. This would result in a flange B having a close grain portion C and an open grain portion D in which the groove formed by the cut P would have edges Q, of close grain structure projecting beyond the bottom of the groove. Such a metallic body out along the line P, as indicated in Fig. '1', could be rolled by closing in the flanges Q, in a manner similar to that illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 without the necessity of first forming a groove by passing the ingot through grooved rolls as illustrated in Fig. 5.

The entire process of casting and rolling as described in the above referred to Firth application and in the present application results in a metallic body which is free from shrinks and pipes, and in which the open grain structure is completely enclosed by a portion havin a close grain structure.

We have i1 ustrated in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, certain forms of ingots whichmay be cast and then cut in order to provide a metallic body which is free from shrinks and pipes, but which has an open grain structure extending to one of its surfaces. In Figs..5 to 9, inclusive, we have illustrated how these bodies having open grain structure extending to a surface may be shaped to form a body having close grain structure on all its surfaces. The forms of ingots illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 are given by way of example only, and it is to be understood that the rolling process is applicable to all bodies having open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces irrespective of how such bodies are obtained.

In the claims, the word ingot is to be construed as meaning either an entire ingot or only a portion of an ingot; and the term open grain structure is to be construed as meaning a grain structure somewhat coarser or more open than the normal grain structure of the body.

We have illustrated and described certain present preferred embodiments of our invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be otherwise embodied or practiced within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion 'of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising pressing in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, and then forcing said outer portions toward each other.

2. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising pressing in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, and then forcing said outer portions toward each other to close the groove.

3. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending. to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising passing the body between rolls having a rib which presses in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, and then forcing said outer portions toward each other to close the groove.

4. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising passing the body between rolls having arib which presses, in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, and then passing the grooved body between rolls which force said outer portions toward each other to close the groove.

5. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces. and outer portions of relaprising passing the body between rolls having a rib which presses in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree "than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, rotating the body through substantially 90 and then passing the grooved body between rolls'whic'h force said outer portions toward each other to .close the groove- Q 6. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intremediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising passing the body between rolls having a rib which presses in the open grain structure at said surface to'a greater degree thansaid outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the'body, passing the grooved body between rolls which force said outer portions toward each other to close the groove, rotating the body through substantially 90, and continuing the rolling.

7. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer'portions of relatively close grain structure, the stepscomprising passing the body between rolls havinga rib which presses in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions, thereby forming a groove in the body, passing-the grooved body between rolls which force-said outer portions toward each other to close the groove, rotating the body through substantially 90, and feeding it'to a substantially diamond-shaped pass.

8. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively outer grooves.

In testim our hands.

open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close. grain structure, the steps comprising passing-the body between ribbed rolls sothat one of the ribs presses in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than said outer portions and the other rib keeps the ingot in proper alinement, thereby forming grooves in the body, and then forcing said I outer portions toward each other to close a the grooves.

9. In the method of shaping metallic bodies having an intermediate portion of relatively open grain structure extending to at least one of its surfaces and outer portions of relatively close grain structure, the steps comprising I passing the body between ribbed rolls so that oneof the ribs presses, in the open grain structure at said surface to a greater degree than Y Y the ingot in proper alinement, thereby forming' grooves in the body, rotating the ingot through substantially 90, and passing the said outer portions, and the other rib keeps portions toward each other to close the ony whereof we have hereunto set L. GERALD FIRTH. PAUL F. LONGNEGKER. 

